Moselsteig Side Trail Kluckertspfad

At the edge of the vineyards, above the Kinheim district of Kindel you will find the “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut, the starting point for the Kluckertspfad trail. It starts out as an uphill forest trail. Where the trail bends off into the valley of the Kuckert stream you will come to a viewpoint with a sweeping view of the Moselle valley. The wine village of Kröv sits on the other side of the Moselle surrounded by vineyards. Past the small mountain hut on the rocky ridge, the trail follows an almost level path into the tributary valley of the Kluckert stream. The valley ends in a rock step; sometimes a little waterfall gushes over it depending on the time of year and the water level. The trail switches valley side via a wooden bridge and the path winds along the slope. Then, once the path has become slightly wider, the trail continues downhill into the forest. At the lowest point, another path joins up with it. The next section is path-like again and leads uphill to the ridge between the Moselle valley and the valley of the mill brook, a good section of which the side trail will follow later on. After a short section on the path - lined by steep vineyards on the right and forest on the left - you will reach the break-off edge of the “Kröver Felssturz” (the Kröv rockfall). In 1992, a section of the mountainside here was brought down by a controlled explosion because the entire mountainside was at risk of falling into the Moselle. You can still see the scar on the mountainside clearly today. Now, hikers can benefit from this dramatic event: the slope edge, which is fenced off, offers a beautiful view into the Moselle Valley. The trail continues on a slight downhill, initially between forest and vineyards, then surrounded by woods on both sides, leading to a sheltered rest stop in a hollow. This offers a brief chance to catch your breath before starting the climb to the ruins of the Wolf monastery. At this point the side trail leads trail across a rocky ridge, straight to the remains of the ancient monastery. Many houses in the surrounding areas were built using stones from the monastery. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to climb the steeple and the barriers should be observed due to the danger of falling rocks. The viewpoint on the slope edge and its panoramic view of Kröv more than make up for this though. Moving on from the plateau, on which the monastery and/or its remains are still a visible landmark, the trail drops steeply. The route changes direction and leads through meadows and pastures with fruit trees at the Kleinforst rest stop.  You can start the side trail from Wolf here. Wolf’s varied restaurant scene and typical Moselle half-timbered townscape are within easy reach about 1 km away. The Kluckertspfad circular trail continues with a section through vineyards . A vineyard path leads into the valley of the mill brook. The side trail follows the valley floor for approx. 2 km. After passing a few ponds, the trail becomes immersed in deciduous forest . The waymarkers lead out of the valley of the mill brook. The route now follows the course of a tributary valley. The trail starts to climb steeply here. It then crosses a wide forest path without changing direction. After a sharp bend, you reach a forest path. The side trail has reached the plateau, which leads further into the forest on almost level terrain. The trail exits the forest, unveiling a view across the Moselle valley and beyond to the Kinheim vineyards. After sloping gently downwards, the trail then leads steeply downhill back into the forest. The trail finally descends at the edge of the forest through a sort of ravine. On the last section of the path back to the barbecue hut the trail leads through meadows, pastures and vineyards. This area is home to a small archaeological site with traces from a time when Celts and Romans were native to the Moselle region.

The trail should only be hiked on with suitable hiking boots – ideally slightly higher-topped hiking boots, because some sections lead across rocky and uneven ground.

You can join the trail from two locations. As well as the starting point at the “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut in the Kindel district, you can also join the circular route from Wolf. Regardless of which starting point you choose, clockwise is the most picturesque walking direction. Since there are no places to stop for refreshment on the circular route itself, packing a picnic beforehand is advisable (e.g. from a winegrower from one of the surrounding wine villages) or using one of the restaurants or cafes in Kinheim or Wolf which are available a short distance away. The most beautiful rest stops can be found near the ruins of the Wolf monastery. You can rest here after two thirds of the hike if you chose Wolf as a starting point.

Starting point at “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut Take the B 53 to Kinheim, between Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach. Here, switch to the other side of the Moselle to enter the Kindel district. The paved road which continues straight on from the bridge leads directly to the starting point at the “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut. Starting point at the Kleinforst rest stop In the Traben-Trarbach district of Wolf (accessible via the B 53), follow Klosterbergstraße uphill through the vineyards to the small carpark at the Kleinforst rest stop about 1 km from Wolf.

Parking is available at the Kinheim “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut. Here you will find an information board for the trail. For the second access point in Wolf there is parking at the Kleinforst rest stop, which is just a few metres away from the circular trail. There’s an information board for the trail here too. The Wolf site offers lots of parking options. From there, the signposted approx. 1 km-long route leads directly to the starting point underneath the Kleinforst rest stop.

Bus route 360 operates between Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach generally on an hourly basis. From the stop at Kinheim, Ort, the signposted route to the starting point at the “Am Römerhang” barbecue hut is approx. 1.2 km. From the stop at Wolf, Jugendhof, the alternative starting point at “Rastplatz Kleinforst” can be reached via an approx. 1.5 km-long footpath (not continuously signposted).

Literature (only available in German):

"Seitensprünge Band 2" - 17 Premium-Rundwanderungen von Bernkastel-Kues bis Koblenz von ideemedia

Authors: Ulrike Poller, Wolfgang Todt, Publisher: ideemedia, 160 pages, Format: 11,0 x 16,4 cm, ISBN: 978-3-942779-60-9, 12,95 €

Leisure Map Moselsteig Trail – Map 2: Trier - Zell (Moselle) (Stages 5 - 14), ISBN: 978-3-89637-420-2

Mosellandtouristik GmbH

Kordelweg 1, 54470 Bernkastel-Kues; Phone: +49 (6531) 97330

www.moselsteig.de

Moselregion Traben-Trarbach-Kröv

 Bahnstraße 22, 56841 Traben-Trarbach, Phone: +49 (6541/8184572)

www.moselregion.com